tonight, the busiest day yet for holiday travel, crowded airports and the new warning, as americans return home. >> we might see a surge superimposed upon that surge. plus the new restrictions affecting millions. joe biden's emergency trip to the doctor after twisting his ankle. > and some history made today, announcing an all-female team to run white house communications. reversing course, the biggest school system in the country switches back to in-person learning for elementary schools but not older students. the science behind the change. >> a big hit to the nfl.

the denver broncos play today without a quarterback. >> we do have a nonquarterback starting at quarterback. >> all four of their qbs in quarantine, and the 49ers may be forced from their stadium. race for a vaccine, key vote at the cdc, who gets the vaccine first, the debate over whether nursing home residents should be in the first wave. cyber monday deals, where to find the best deals online and the way companies plan to shift their product to us. >> and why some police departments are making the change from busting criminals to busting moves. it's all about making connection. good evening. on the busiest travel day we've seen in nine months, ever since the pandemic took hold, and what top officials understood the impulse to see family, grave public warnings about what could happen next, urging anyone who did travel to stay way from

others or risk spreading the virus further and straining the ability of hospitals to find enough staff to care for the sick. we'll get to vaccine news and much more. let's begin with blayne alexander at jacksonville's hea hartfield airport. >> reporter: now those same experts say because of that travel, we are likely headed to the worst phase of the pandemic. >> what we expect, unfortunately, as we go for the next couple of weeks into december, that we might see a surge superimposed upon that surge that we're already in. >> reporter: over the past week, tsa has processed more than 7 million passengers, less than half of with an we saw last year, but by far the busiest stretch since the start of the pandemic. >> i encourage it. everybody get out. enjoy their time. >> keep your mask on. be respectful of others. you'll be fine. >> reporter: while we have

weathered holiday surges before with the u.s. topping 13 million cases, experts fear this will be much worse. >> we're entering this post-thanksgiving surge with three, four and ten times as much disease across the country. so, that's what worries us the most. >> reporter: all as americans continue to disregard health warnings. in denver, the mayor who urged his residents to skip holiday travel -- >> please stay home. >> reporter: -- is now apologizing after taking a flight to see his family. >> it's hypocritical, a decision i deeply regret. >> reporter: packed with nearly 400 people, all of it dealing blow after blow to a health care system stretched to the limit. >> if things don't turn around quickly, we're going to have a situation with capacity not only hospital capacity, but staff. >> we're exhausting all efforts, doing everything we can, and just still cannot save everyone. >> reporter: dr. david o'corner,

s seeing millions ignore restrictions is frustrating. >> i think the next couple of months will be the darkest and bleakest we've seen yet in this pandemic. >> blayne joins us now. officials are not just asking them to isolate, right? >> reporter: that's right, kate. some states are actually requiring it. if you are going home to elderly relatives, you should wear a mask and, perhaps above all, get tested, about three to five days after you return. kate? >> blayne alexander, thank you. the impact of the surging virus is being felt across the country. tough new restrictions are hitting the west coast. nfl team ran out of quarterbacks and some schools are closing. in the nation's largest district there was a reversal this morning. megan fitzgerald is tracking all of that. >> reporter: tonight, whiplash for parents and stooint students

in the nation's largest school district. new york mayor bill deblasio, reversing a decision in one week. elementary schools will reopen. high schools will remain close. >> there's much less of a spread when it comes to younger kids. >> reporter: the city's second shot at reopening after deblasio just closed schools two weeks ago, drawing backlash and protests. now some relief. >> we're elated. however, we are disappointed that while elementary school kids are going back, middle school and high school kids don't yet have a path to get back into the classroom. >> reporter: across the country in california's bay area, officials asking residents to stay home and further cutting capacity for nonessential businesses. >> we're going to take a hit. there's no way around it. >> reporter: the situation even more dire in santa clara county, shattering records for new infections and hospitalizations. >> this pandemic is like a

high-speed train and our projections tell us that we are on target to derail by around the third week of december, if we don't apply brakes right now with all our collective might. >> reporter: the county now banning all contact sports, which means the upcoming home game for teams like the san francisco 49ers are in jeopardy in colorado, where the governor just announced he and his partner have tested positive for covid-19, the denver broncos taking a hit as well. >> here he is, first time he touches a ball in an nfl game, under pressure right way. probably makes the smart move and gets rid of it. >> reporter: four quarterbacks sidelined after potential exposure to the coronavirus, forcing the team to play an undrafted rookie in today's game. the team's starting quarterback, apologizing in a tweet saying in a controlled and socially distant area, we let our masking slip, an honest mistake, but one

i will own. >> megan joins us now from los angeles. is the nfl concerned about the playoffs? >> reporter: kate, the nfl is considering a playoff bubble for those teams that make it. isolating teams and staff in hotels and team facilities, but so far a decision hasn't been made. kate? >> meagan fitzgerald, thank you. >> to some breaking news, president-elect joe biden just wrapped up an emergency trip to the doctor. it comes as he makes history with another new round of appointments. kelly o'donnell has details from the white house. >> reporter: an unexpected detour for president-elect joe biden today. his motorcade took him to a delaware doctor's office for an apparent ankle injury that happened saturday. aides refused to let journalists see mr. biden enter or leave, but told reporters, president-elect biden slipped while playing with his dog, major, and twisted his ankle.

out of an abundance of caution, he will be examine this had afternoon by an orthopedist. while biden was being examined, the transition roll ed out a bi staff announcement. women to fill all the top seven communication roles, including form former obama aide jen psaki, named white house press secretary, and deputy campaign manager kate bedingfield. >> the numbers aren't going to change much at all. >> reporter: today, wisconsin completed a recount of its two largest counties that confirmed biden's win with a small boost, adding 87 votes. another blow for the trump campaign that paid the $3 million recount cost. president trump returned from camp david today, joined by three of his grandchildren, just after he lamented the flailing legal fight to overturn the election in a phone interview. >> the problem is, it's hard to get into the supreme court. >> reporter: another hurdle, the president's understanding of how

lit election litigation works. he told advisers he wanted to personally file one catch-all election lawsuit. >> and they say, sir, you don't have standing. i say i don't have standing? as president of the united states, i don't have standing? what kind of a court system is this? >> reporter: his anger and grievance turned on the republican governor of georgia, where biden scored an upset, but republicans still need unity to win two senate run-off races. >> this character in georgia, who is a disaster, and the governor has done nothing. >> kelly is with us now. we just got an update on the president-elect's injury? >> reporter: we did. the doctor who has treated him said that the initial x-rays show a sprain of the right ankle with no obvious fracture, but the president-elect was also undergoing ct scan for additional imaging. the transition did not disclose that the president-elect took this slip or fall on saturday when it happened, going public only late today. kate? >> kelly o'donnell at the white

house. thank you. this week promises to bring major news on the vaccine front. cdc advisers will vote on who should get a vaccine first, and whether nursing home residents should be part of that first group. gabe gutierrez has that. >> reporter: with skyrocketing deaths and national guard troops deployed to help, nursing homes have been at the center of the covid crisis. now they may be at the forefront of the solution. >> we likely, almost certainly are going to be vaccinating a portion of the individuals in the first priority before the end of december. >> reporter: a major question, who should be in that first priority group? cdc advisers are meeting tuesday to vote. likely, health care workers. but there's debate about residents of long-term care facilities. >> when we move a new drug into the general population and we look at how it acts in the real world, it's so critical that we do so before we move into a frail population. so, that is why even though long-term care residents are at

greatest risk for covid, there is some consideration that perhaps the vaccine should be delayed for them. >> reporter: experts have a range of concerns, including possible side effects of the vaccine and that many nursing home residents can't travel to a hospital or outpatient clinic. major pharmacy chains such as walgreens are prepared to bring the vaccines to nursing homes, by setting up a central location within the facilities or going room to room. according to an nbc news analysis of federal data earlier this month, more than 1,300 nursing homes across the u.s. reported having three or more covid cases. do you think that residents of long-term care facilities should be in that first priority group? >> barring no other choice, yes, they should. >> reporter: vivian's mother died from covid. she started an advocacy group. >> the reality is that they cannot continue a treatment of

isolation. >> reporter: 40% of the nation's covid deaths have been in nursing homes. tonight, there are mounting questions about how to get the vaccine to them safely. gabe gutierrez, nbc news, new york. later in the broadcast, we'll look at how states are planning to distribute the vaccine. vaccine. up next, blockbuster cyber i will send out an army to find you in the middle of the darkest night it's true, i will rescue you oh, i will rescue you to severe plaque psoriasis uncover clearer skin that can last. in fact, tremfya® was proven superior to humira® in providing significantly clearer skin.

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okay, who has been browsing the online sales already this windshield? cyber monday, set hours from now, is said to be the biggest online shopping ever. discounts and free shipping tips. >> reporter: online shopping, this cyber monday is expected to be the biggest online sales date in history, with shoppers shelling out up to $12.7 billion tomorrow. it comes after consumers spent a record $9 billion online on black friday. coming out to $6.3 million a minute. and the good news for those slow to click buy, cyber monday isn't just a one-day event. stores are pushing deals for cyber week right now, 40% off ninja kitchen supplies at target and wal-mamarwalmart, 50% off a and walmart and hb products

slashed by 40% at best buy. >> the categories i expect to be discounted will be the toy category. >> reporter: among the gifts hardest to find, gaming consoles, like the new ps5, retailers saying they'll continue to restock in the weeks ahead. the x-factor this year is shipping, with delays already plaguing the system. for so many shoppers, free or & or fast delivery is essential and will make or break your order. stores like best buy have turned part of their stores into mini fulfillment centers like this, to get you your stuff as quickly as they can. experts recommend ordering online by december 11th to take advantage of free shipping that arrives in time for christmas. after that, the price you pay for on-time delivery will rise. >> a simple web search, free shipping and the name of the retailer and see what pops up. sometimes you'll find that code. >> reporter: with the majority of shoppers preferring to shop online during this pandemic, the

president of shopify, e-mercy platform, says it may never be the same. >> we're not seeing an anomaly. it is the blueprint for retail. it will continue long after we have a vaccine. there's no going back to the pre-covid retail model. >> reporter: how we give and veev. jo ling kent, nbc news, los angeles. ramping up for covid vaccines. the massive challenges ahead for hhe healt our new house is amazing. great street, huge yard. there is a bit of an issue with our neighbors fencing. neighbor 1: allez! (sound from wind chimes) neighbor 2: (laughing) at least geico makes bundling our home and car insurance easy. which helps us save even more. neighbor 2: hey, sarah, hey, peter! neighbor 1: touché. neighbor 2: ahhh! neighbor 1: pret! neighbor 2: en garde! for bundling made easy, go to geico.com

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health departments are facing a new challenge when it comes to the new covid vaccine, how to store, distribute and track it all. anne thompson reports on how states are getting ready. >> reporter: the final delivery of the long-awaited covid vaccine will come down to local health department. >> the part at distal end mainly getting into people's arms, is going to be more challenging than just the regular flu season. i think it would be foolish to deny that. >> reporter: skilled at measles, flu and other mass vaccination efforts, they've never had to do something like this. why does the covid-19 vaccine present unique problems? >> we all have to remember, we've never had a condition where we really have to vaccinate 330 million people. this is the most massive effort to date. >> reporter: we talked to health officials across the country about the challenges ahead. in houston, the memorial health system is doing practice drills. >> we've done all the

preparati preparation. we've created the plans and so we think we're ready to go. >> reporter: their part as a pilot distribution program organized by pfizer, maker of one of the vaccine candidates. that means preparing to track everyone who gets it, because pfizer's vaccine requires two doses, 21 days apart. and using their freezers to store the medicine. in wisconsin, that's a challenge. does the typical rural hospital have the ability to keep the vaccine at 94 degrees below zero? >> absolutely not. some have actually placed orders for such freezers, but it's not like they have guaranteed delivery. >> reporter: add to that, overworked staff treating covid patients and no sign of $6 billion in federal funds needed to distribute the vaccine. >> can't do anything without cash. we're cash strapped right now. that's not going to change between now and when the vaccine

comes out. >> reporter: in rural and urban areas, the biggest problem may be trust. the recent gallup poll showed only six in ten americans would agree to be vaccinated. >> people who get it early should be the heroes, the champions. we should know about them. you can build on that with the populations, especially black populations, latinx populations that are more hesitant. >> reporter: so the nation can take the next step in ending the pandemic. anne thompson, nbc news. tonight, the world is remembering the man who made darth vader such an imposing villain. dave prow sechlt was the actor behind the mask while james earl jones used the voice, prowse used his 6'6" height to bring darth vader to life. he was 85 years old. >> if you're a cat person, this one is for you. nbc news has confirmed the

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and if you are or may become pregnant while taking rinvoq. take on ra talk to your rheumatologist about rinvoq relief. rinvoq. make it your mission. if you can't afford your medicine, abbvie may be able to help. there's good news tonight about creating connections, and the good way some police officers are reaching out to their communities. ♪ shoulders knees and toes >> this is not typical police work. this will not lead to an arrest or even a promotion. but it will lead to something

else. what's the whole point of it? >> the whole point is to build connection. some police officers ride horses. >> connection between the police and their community at a time when that bond is in serious need of repair. >> we have to be able to teach not only the police officers, but community how do we start engaging positively and connect positively on a daily basis? >> it's all part of a program called hey blue, founded by former nypd officer now living in florida. before covid, officers would read to classrooms in person. now, it's virtual storytime. >> it's time to dance around, my friends! >> an online dance party. mainly targeting his current hometown of melbourne, florida, but viewed across the country. >> i love what it does for the kids, for the officers. >> reporter: jeremy bohanan is

an officer. >> it's probably one of the most important things that we possibly could be doing right now. >> reporter: officer bohanon joins in on almost every storytime. there's a lot of distrust, right, in certain communities? >> there's a lot of distrust, especially with the black and brown community. >> reporter: natasha walker and her daughter felt that distrust. >> growing up, police officers were mainly authoritative. >> despite their reservations, they started participating in storytimes and saw a different side of police. >> i know now that i have an open door to that communication. >> it was that connection that originally inspired john verdi to create hey blue. it was after 9/11 when verdi was in new york, spending days digging through rubble when a third grader he never met gave him a card. >> that card used words like

heroes, support and love. we believe in you. i'm sorry. from that day on, i had always started to find the connection between myself and kids in community. >> a goal he's still working to fulfill 20 years later. anyone can join in on their facebook live stream, by the way. it is hey blue. i would like to invite you to check out my digital series, the drink, about how people make it to the top of theirfield. writer and producer lena waithe. nbcnews.com/the drink or on "nbc nightly news" podcast feed. lester holt will be back with you tomorrow. i'm kate snow for all of us here at nbc news, stay safe and have a great night. ♪

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